Are you tired of seeing celebrities with perfectly sculpted eyebrows and feeling envious of your friends who have undergone successful microblading procedures? It’s completely natural to feel a bit nervous about trying something new, especially when it comes to making a change to your appearance.
But let us reassure you: the fear of the unknown is often worse than the reality.
So don’t worry, microblading can be removed if you don’t like the look. Here’s what you need to know.
While there are some people who refer to microblading as semi-permanent, in reality, that’s not true. Any ink implanted into the skin is a tattoo and permanent—microblading included. While the ink will lighten over time, it will never fade away completely. You can read about six different methods of tattoo removal HERE.
The two methods most often used are saline tattoo removal and laser tattoo removal.
This article will answer the most common questions about both methods. It tells you how many sessions are required, how long it takes to heal, and what the pain level is. It also tells you the risks and how much the procedures may cost.

Laser Tattoo Removal

Laser tattoo removal works by blasting the ink into tiny particles and pushing it deeper into the skin where it can’t be seen. Your body may eliminate some of the ink through your lymphatic system.
Finding a qualified laser tattoo specialist is very important. Depending on your skin color, the depth of the ink, and if the ink contains carbon or iron oxide, multiple lasers may be required.
The technician may be able to numb the skin by injecting lidocaine into your eyebrow area. Without numbing, the procedure is extremely painful and feels like a rubber band being snapped against your skin repeatedly. Scaring, infection or skin discoloration is possible.
A scab will form and fall off within five to seven days after each session.
A consultation will give you a chance to talk about your concerns and get answers about whether your microblading can be removed. Make sure that the technician has experience doing this procedure—the skin in that area is thinner than most other body parts!
Even with a qualified technician, you may notice grey or pink shadowing after microblading removal.
You can read more about laser tattoo removal from the Mayo Clinic by clicking here HERE.

Saline Tattoo Removal

Saline tattoo removal has become an increasingly popular option for those who are unhappy with their microbladed brows. Most permanent makeup artists can’t offer laser tattoo removal, but some can perform saline tattoo removal.
The active ingredient in Saline removal is salt. Salt works by creating an imbalance of the body’s natural sodium levels, sending fluid to rebalance them. It does this using a scientific process called osmosis.
The area will be freshly numbed with lidocaine cream before beginning the removal procedure. After they remove the numbing cream, technicians use their tattoo machines and inject saline solution into that line—which usually results in some temporary discomfort due to salt under your skin.
Over the next seven days, the area forms a scab and when the scab falls off, the top layer of ink goes with it.
Saline tattoo removal is great for removing microbladed eyebrows because it targets all colors. Eyebrow color usually involves mixing small amounts of many hues, so saline-based treatments will be effective regardless of the original pigment used by a technician during your procedure.
A trained professional can do emergency saline removal on fresh microblading within twenty-four to forty-eight hours.
Like laser removal, Saline tattoo removal may leave some shadowing at the site of your old tattoo.
Both methods are safe when performed by a trained professional. The risk of scarring, infection, and skin discoloration is higher with laser because the energy force hits the entire area and damages all of the tissue. Saline tattoo removal is only inserted into the line of ink. The space between the lines isn’t affected at all.

Cost of Removal

The cost of removal can be similar for both methods. Sessions range from $350 to $500 and the number of sessions required will also vary but could require as many as four to six visits.
The result of any microblading removal method depends on how deep the ink is in your skin. The deeper it is, the harder it will be to remove. You might not get rid of all of it—but you should see some lightening.

Next Steps for Microblading Removal

You need to find a studio that specializes in removal if you want to remove your microblading or any other permanent makeup. At About Face and Body, we’ve removed 100s of permanent tattoos and touched up 1000s of permanent makeup tattoos including microblading. To schedule a consultation and see if your microblading can be removed, click on our consultation link online-pre-consultation or call/text 407-574-8383.
At About Face and Body, located in Orlando, Florida, we also created a salt ointment that gives our clients better results when they apply it at home during the first three or four days of healing. This seems to help lift more embedded ink than any other method we’ve tried!
Here is an example of an emergency Saline Microblading Removal after only one session at our studio in Orlando, Florida:
Can Microblading Be Removed? - Two options to consider

Emergency Microbading Removal, Image owned by About Face and Body, Orlando, Florida

Bottom line: Saline and laser tattoo removal are both effective. The cost per session is about the same, as is the healing time and recovery period. Laser energy affects the entire eyebrow area which can cause more scarring and increases the risk of infection or skin discoloration, whereas saline tattoo removal only affects each line of ink.

For more information about Saline Tattoo Removal, visit our Tattoo Removal & Lightening page, contact us using our Online pre-consultation form, or call/text 407-574-8383.